The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-03-03

Certainly, Josephinel" said Kate, suddenly
stepping between her sister and Thompson,
and turning upon her white face and eyes
of silencing significance; "certainly-dont
you remember?-that's the story we got
from the Chinaman, you know, only mud
died. Go on, sir" she continued, turning to
Thompson calmly; "you say that the man
who brought the note from my brother was
shot by Lee~
"And another fellow they call Fallzner.
Yes, that's about the size of it."
"Thank you; it's nearly the same story that
we heard. But you have had a long ride,
Mr. Thompson; let me offer you a glass of
whisky in the dining room. This way,
please"
The door closed upon them none too soon.
For Mrs. Hale already felt the room wlirling
around her and sank back into her chair with
all hysterical laugh. Old Mrs. Scott did not
move from her seat, but, with her eyes fixed
on the door, impatiently waited Kates re.
turn. Neither spoke, but each felt that the
young, untried girl was equal to the emer-
gency and would get at the truth.
The sound of Thompson's feet in the hall
and the closing of the front door was followed
by Kate's temperance. Her face was still
pale, but calm.
"Wells" said the two women in a breath.
"Wen," returned Kate, slowly, @Mr. Lee
and Mr.. Falkner were undoubtedly the two
men who took the paper from Johns messen-
ger and brought it here"
"You are suref" said Mrs. Scott.
"There can be no mistake, mother"
"Then," said Mrs. Scott, with triumphant
feminine logic, II don't want anything more
to satisfy me that they are perfectly limo
cent?"
More convincing than the most perfect
masculine deduction, this single expression OF
their common nature sent a thrill of SYM
pathy and understanding through each. They
cried for a few moments on each others
shoulders.
"To think" said Mrs. Scott, "what that
poor boy must have suffered to have been
obliged to do-that to-to-Bilson-isn that
the creatures name9 1 suppose we ought to
send over there and inquire after him, with
some chicken and Jelly, Kate. It's only COM
mon humanity, and we must be just, my
dear; for even if he shot Mr.. Lee and pro
voked the poor boy to shoot him, he may
have thought it his duty. And, then, it will
avert suspicious"
ITO think" murmured Mrs. Hale, "what
they must have gone through while they
were here-momentarily expecting John to
come, and yet keeping up such light heart
81 believe, if they had stayed any longer
they would have told us everything,n said
Mrs. Scott.
| Both the younger women were silent. Kate
was thinking of Falkner's significant speech
as they neared the house on their last walk
Josephine was recalling the remorseful pic
| ture drawn by Lee, which she knew was his
| own portrait Suddenly she started
"But John will be here soon; what are we
to tell him? And then that package and thai
letter"
"Don't be in a hurry to tell him anything
at present, my child, said Mrs. Scott gently
ait is unfortunate this Mr. Thompson called
here, but we are not obliged to understand
what he says now about Johns message, o.
to connect our visitors with his story. In
sure, Kate, should have treated them ex
| actly as we did if they had come without any
message from John; so I do not know why
we should lay any stress OF that, or even
speak Of it. The simple fact is that we have
opened our house to two strangers in distress
Your husband" continued Mr.. Halei
mother-in-law, docs not require to know
more. As to the letter and package, we vii
| keep that for further consideration 1t can
| not be Of much Importance or they woulC
have spoken Of it before; it is probably somt
trifing present as return for your hospital
ity. should use no indecorous haste in hav
ing it opened"
The two women kissed Mrs. Scott with
feeling of relief, and fell back into tn
monotony of their household duties. 1t is t.
be feared, however that the absence of thei
outlawed guests was nearly as dangerous a
their presence in the opportunity it afforded
for uninterrupted and imaginative reflection
Both Kate and Josephine were at frs
shocked and wounded by the discovery of th
real character of the two men with whom
they had associated so familiarly, but it wa
no disparagement TO their sense of propriety
to say that the shock did not last long, anC
was accompanied with the fascination of dan
ger. This was succeeded by a consciousness O
the delicate fiattery implied in their indirec
influence over the men who had undoubtedl,
risked their lives for the sake of remaining
with them. The best woman is not abov
being touched by the effect of her powe
over the worst man, and Kate at first allowed
herself to think Of FaIl1ner in that light
But if in her later reflections be suffered
as heroic experience to be forgotten, h,
gained something actual man to be re
membered. Now that the proposed ride
from "his friends house" were part of th
illusion, would he ever dare to visit then
again? Would she dare to see him? She he'll
her breath with a sudden pain of parting tina
was new to her; she tried to think Of some
thing Use, to pick up the scattered threads o1
her life before that eventful day. But il
vain; that one week had filled the place witt
| implacabe memories, or more terrible, as i
seemed to her and her sister, they had botl
lost their feeble, alien hold upon Eagle
Court in the sudden presence of the real geni
of these solitudes, and henceforth they alon'
would be strangers there. They scarcely
dared to confess it to each other, but this re
turn to the dazzling sunlight and cloudles
skies of the past appeared to them to be on
unreal experience; they had never known th
true wild favor OF their home except in tha
week of delicious isolation. Without breath
ing it aloud, they longed for some vague de
nouement to this experience that should tax
them from Eagles Court forever.
1t was noon the next day when the ittl
| household beheld the last shred of their illu
sion vanish like the melting snow in tn
strong sunlight of John Hale's return. II
was accompanied by Col Clinch and Raw
lins, two strangers TO the women. Was
fancy or the avenging spirit of their absen
comDanionsa But he, too, looked a stranger
"a